Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, responded personally to the Holy Father after the Pope announced his resignation.

ESTEFANIA AGUIRRE/CNA/EWTN

VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, told Pope Benedict XVI that his pontificate will always shine like a star as he reacted to the news of Pope’s resignation.

“The stars in the sky will continue to shine, and your pontificate will always shine like them among us,” said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, just after the Pope read his declaration of resignation on Feb. 11, which was dated Feb. 10.

“We have heard you with a sense of astonishment, almost in disbelief,” Cardinal Sodano said in front of a group of cardinals gathered at the Vatican to decide on three canonization proposals.

“In your words, we have noticed the big affection that you have always had towards God’s holy Church, for this Church that you have always loved,” he added.

The cardinal told Pope Benedict that “in the name of your dear collaborators, we are closer, more than ever, just as we have been in these bright eight years of your pontificate.”

Cardinal Sodano recalled the moment when he asked the Pope if he accepted his election as Supreme Pontiff on April 19, 2005.

“You did not delay in replying that you accepted, trusting in God’s grace and in the motherly intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church,” he said.

“Like Mary, you gave your Yes on that day and began your bright pontificate in the continuity of your 265 predecessors on Peter’s Chair, during the course of 2,000 years of history.”

He noted this was “from Peter the Apostle, the humble fisherman of Galilee, to the big Popes of the last century, from St. Pius X to Blessed John Paul II.”

The cardinal called Pope Benedict’s ministry a service “realized with so much love, with so much humility.”

The dean of the College of Cardinals said he hopes that the cardinals “will have a better way of expressing our feelings as well as that of priests, pilgrims, men of good will and authorities from around the world” before his retirement on Feb. 28.

He also said “we will have the joy of listening to your pastoral voice this month” on numerous occasions.

Pope Benedict will speak this Ash Wednesday, on Thursday at a meeting with Rome’s clergy and at the recitation of the Angelus each Sunday until his retirement.

“But your mission will continue," the cardinal said. "You have said that you will always be close with your testimony and your prayer.”

Truly a great Pope in the shoes of the Fisherman, and I hope his successor is able to clear up some misconceptions that many Catholics have about Vatican II documents’ interpretations and applications. Correctly interpreted, and correctly applied, I believe there is a hermeneutic of continuity with our historic one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Our Holy Father correctly placed our historic liturgy back in its rightful place for use in the Church. The Church must clarify what are the logical and appropriate applications of Vatican II, and we need to place the SSPX in correct canonical status. They are a part of us and can help us in the Church’s essential mission. They are not schismatics by any stretch of the imagination, despite the fact that a relatively few of them have acquired an extreme bitterness about Vatican II, which precludes them from using some common sense about how best to advance the Church in the mandate given by Jesus. The broad group of SSPX
clergy and laity are right on target in their love for our mother, the Church. If the Church becomes more decentralized there will only be more confusion and dissension, strife, and crises. Enough!!!

Posted by ann michels on Tuesday, Feb, 12, 2013 10:53 AM (EST):

Beautiful words for a Beautiful Holy Man..

Posted by Celinedesilva on Tuesday, Feb, 12, 2013 9:44 AM (EST):

There is more here than meets the eye.

I feel awful and am still numb. We have failed to pray and sacrifice for our Holy Father. He asked for our prayers at the beginning of his pontificate, “…Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves…”

There were times when any sincere Catholic would wonder what was going on in the midst of so much dissent and hostility even in his own house? Those words “…fear of wolves…” are strong words…

We pray for our Holy Father Benedict XVI who will continue to suffer having had to make such a serious decision answerable to God, as he goes on to lead a life of communion with God in prayer and sacrifice. I am sure he will offer his life of prayer and suffering for our holy Mother the Church.
We love you and pray for you Most Holy Father.

Posted by JOHN M GRONDELSKI on Monday, Feb, 11, 2013 10:22 PM (EST):

Cardinal Sodano’s mixed record on sex abuse and the Maciel scandal is going to be a big elephant in the room during the sede vacante period—it is a scandal Benedict XVI never resolved THAT problem.,.

Posted by Mister H on Monday, Feb, 11, 2013 7:53 PM (EST):

God speed to Pope Benedict.

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